Tagged: reds

April 13, 2011

MISSING: Clutch Hits

I went to the game last night, and I am not happy with how things are looking.

We seriously can’t hit, which is a huge problem!! It was so super frustrating. First of all, we had like one hit through most of the game. We only started hitting near the end of the game, when we really needed it, but we couldn’t come up with the big hit. It was so stupid. Our guys are just not doing well right now. We tied up the game in the eighth inning, which was great, but then we loaded the bases with minimal outs and couldn’t get that stupid one hit.

And then we need to talk about Cory Luebke. I know he’s new. I know he’s a kid. But when you come into the game with a 2-2 tie in the 11th inning, you’ve gotta keep yourself together. It was great, because he got two really quick outs when he came in. Then, something awful happened.

I don’t know if it was mental or physical or physiological or what, but he completely lost it. It didn’t make any sense. Suddenly, he gave up six runs. SIX!!!! In the 11th inning!!!! In a game that we should have had in the bag, but we completely failed. Ugh. It was so awful. Cory definitely needs to figure out what went wrong there, cause that was unacceptable. Single, double, walk, single, single, three-run home run, bam. We’re dead. It was so bad. Get your act together, Cory.

But, on the positive side, starter Clayton Richard had a great game. He was on fire. I was shocked. His strikes to balls ratio was ridiculous. He threw 76 strikes to 31 balls. It was crazy. In the first few innings, he literally had like one ball to 10, 20 strikes. I kept looking at the pitcher scoreboard and laughing. He was really on his game. He went 7.2 innings, allowing two runs on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Okay, so here’s the thing: Ryan Ludwick and Brad Hawpe are actually pretty good fielders. Ryan made a couple of great plays in left field and Brad did the same at first. But neither one of them can hit! Usually I’m the one who believes in all the players, no matter how they’re doing, but when Hawpe was announced in the bottom of the ninth with two runners on, even I groaned. I knew there was no way he was going to be able to help us, and when he was replaced by Jorge Cantu, I rejoiced. Even though Cantu struck out swinging.

Speaking of the ninth inning, that was bad. We had the bases loaded and couldn’t get a run. Then in the 10th, we also had the bases loaded, and got nothing out of it.

Alberto Gonzalez, who we acquired a couple of weeks ago, has done really well for us so far. Last night he went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a triple. It was great. He tripled and went for home when the ball sort of went crazy, but got thrown out. It was a pity. We really could have used that extra run.

So, the game stunk. We had the opportunities, but we couldn’t capitalize on them. This loss was entirely our fault. We had better get things going soon. Just saying, our bats needs to start up ASAP. Like today. Like right now.

Anyways, so the reason I was at Petco yesterday was because the Padres were hosting their first annual sports and entertainment career fair. It was okay. I did learn some stuff, but there were a serious amount of suits there and since I’m not yet a high school graduate, there weren’t really many job options for me. Tom Garfinkel’s speech was pretty good though.

As I was packing up after the game ended and was super upset about the stupidity of my team’s lack of hitting, the guys from Gaslamp Ball ran into me. It was really cool to see them and chat a bit. I was pretty upset at Cory at that point, and promised quite the rant about him, which you can find at the top of this post ^

We’ve got to get today’s game. We absolutely have to. We must win win win and for goodness sakes, get some clutch hits!!!!!!

GO PADRES!!!!

April 12, 2011

The Return of Latos

Mat Latos is back, and though he wasn’t entirely on his game, at least he’s pitching. I think that’s a good start.

Mat went six innings, allowing three runs on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Not to bad at all, but he did pile up the pitch count pretty quickly. He finished up with 94 pitches.

On the other side, Reds starter Edinson Volquez helped us out in the first inning. He was pretty erratic. He allowed two singles, then a walk, and then he hit Ryan Ludwick to drive in our first run. Brad Hawpe gave us a sacrifice fly for the second run.

The Reds pulled ahead in the fourth and fifth innings. Chris Heisey hit a two-run homer in the fifth.

After Latos left, Ernesto Frieri came in to pitch. He threw 1.1 innings, only allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts.

We lost 3-2. It stunk. We just didn’t capitalize on the situations that we had.

Our hitting is still not looking that great. Not only that, but our baserunning was not helping us either. We had two people caught stealing, which easily killed some run-scoring opportunities.

Will Venable, leading off, went 2-for-3 with a run scored, which was great. But he also was one of the guys who got caught stealing.

We are now 4-5. I really hope we get things back together.

I’m going to tomorrow’s game, which I’m really excited about it. It’ll be a lot of fun to get out and to actually see how the team is doing myself. Hopefully they’ll give me a good game.

GO PADRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

May 15, 2009

Throwing Strikes For DUMMIES

It only took ten minutes.

I switched on the radio about two hours after the game started, deciding that I should probably check the score. The first thing I heard was Cubs fans cheering and Andy Masur saying, “And there’s two more for the Cubs!”

Oh, great.

I was trying to eat lunch while listening, but 0.1 inning and six runs later, I had to turn of the radio. It was giving me indigestion. Once it was 7-1 Cubs, I was done.

But the onslaught went on without me. The Cubs pounded out 11 hits and 11 runs.

The Padres got a few runs, three to be exact. Adrian hit his 14th homer of the season, and he’s now hit at least one homer in four games straight. Man, if he wasn’t in Petco all the time…wow. This guy is now leading the majors in home runs.

“I could [not] care less,” Gonzalez said. “It wasn’t enough.”

Drew Macias hit his first homer of the year, but we only got four hits total. We were disgraced in this series, getting swept for the second straight time.

The pitching is what killed us. Chad Gaudin only went 4.1 innings, allowing four runs. Luis Perdomo gave up three, and Duaner Sanchez gave up four. Cla Meredith had a good inning, and Heath got to pitch as well, getting two strikeouts. I feel so bad for Heath.

The worst part of this game was the walks. We gave up TEN walks. Gaudin gave up SEVEN in his 4.1 innings!! These guys just couldn’t find the plate.

The Padres are back home now, after having a closed-door meeting after the game. I sure hope it worked.

Well, time to call in the Professor.

I called Greg Maddux early this morning, explaining this situation to him. He was busy golfing, but he agreed to come over and talk to the pitchers for us.

I sent all the position players to the batting cages, telling them to stay there, for say, five hours. Then all the pitchers gathered in the clubhouse as Maddux began to speak.

“It’s all about location, location, location.” he started.

“Oooooooh!” said the pitchers.

“When you pitch, you need to focus on where your pitch is going more than how fast it’s going.”

“Ahhhhhhh!”

Duaner Sanchez raised his hand. “Excuse me, sir, I’ve been having trouble understanding what exactly a strike is. Perhaps you could explain to me.”

“Of course.” Greg said, quickly drawing something on the whiteboard next to him.

“You see, you want to get the ball over the plate, but not so the batter can hit it,” Maddog explained. “A lot of my success came my hitting the corners, but since you guys don’t have much control, I wouldn’t recommend that.”

Duaner rubbed his chin. “Hmmm, I think I’m finally starting to get it!”

“Good,” said GM Kevin Towers as he walked into the room. “Maybe you can work on it more when you get to Triple-A!”

Next, Greg showed the pitchers exactly how to hold the ball.

After Maddux talked to the pitchers for a few more hours, drilling them about where exactly the strike zone was, I walked him out to his car.

“You’ve got an interesting bunch of pitchers there.” he commented.

“Yeah, but a lot of them are probably going to be kicked out soon.” I said. “Hey, Doggie…”

He stopped, looking at me expectedly.

“You miss baseball yet? ‘Cause we could use another starting pitcher.”

He just smiled.

Well, I hope that meeting helped the pitchers realize a bit more about pitching, especially since they got it from the Professor. The Padres are back home for a nine-game homestand, starting with the apparently red-hot Reds for three. I’m scared. Aaron Harang, who scares my sister, is going tonight against Kevin Correia.

I mean, look at those eyes. They’re creepy!

aaron harang creepy.jpg By the way, I hate Tim Sullivan’s ways to improve this team. They are plain wrong!! We must not get rid of Kouz!!!! He just needs time. We didn’t give up on him in 2007 and we can’t give up on him now. If they traded him, I would need a support group for months and months and months!! It would not be pretty.

Speaking of getting rid of players, I heard Trevor’s eighth save in eight chances yesterday. It plain broke my heart. I miss that dude sooo much!!! But you know what, I am so glad he’s on that team right now and not on the Padres. If he was here, he would be completely miserable. At least he’s on a winning team, and he’s getting to pitch. I just miss him like crazy!!

So, I am getting even more excited about Sunday’s game for one simple reason:

This gorgeous dude is pitching against Jake!!

OK, this is really weird, but I am soooo amazingly excited about seeing this guy pitch! Here’s the story.

A few years ago, Bronson Arroyo walked a Padre batter with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, and we won the game. I’m not exactly sure what he was doing pitching in the bottom of the ninth, but I know it was him. I remember him by the hair, which looked like Khalil’s.

I’m not exactly sure why I became so fascinated with him, but it was probably because the Padres did really well against him. Also, he’s really cute!

At first, I thought it was going to be Peavy-Owings this Sunday, because that’s the way the rotation had panned out, but I didn’t realize that the Reds had an off-day this week, thus pushing Arroyo to Sunday.

What a pitching match-up this is going to be! I am so ridiculously excited, it’s ridiculous!! I mean, I’m so super pumped about watching the opposing pitcher! I think all this losing is going to my head.

But seriously, I can’t wait to see Bronson. He’s amazing. Hopefully my Padres will be able to hit him, though 🙂

You know, I don’t really care that the Padres are losing so much right now. I just want to get out to the ballpark, take pictures of my boys, and watch some baseball. It’s almost guaranteed to be a great pitchers’ duel all the way. I’m going to go out there and enjoy some baseball. Who cares that the Padres are heading down the drain, that they’re a million games behind and can’t hit or pitch?

It’s going to be an amazing game, and my boys had better pull away with the win. And if they aren’t able to do that, I at least hope they can play well. I don’t want to have to walk out of there angry and frustrated and embarrased by them. If they try as hard as they can, I’d be satisfied. But they’d better win 🙂

I’m soooooo excited!! AHHH! Only a few more days….

GO PADRES!!!